Three Years Dead, Finally Remembered

I hovered at the edge of the bed, watching as Mom yanked the child by the collar, her face twisted with impatience.

"Nonsense!" she snapped. "The doctors said Cassidy had a strong constitution. How could she die of organ failure?"

The child's voice trembled. "I'm not lying! And… Cassidy used to throw up blood all the time when she did odd jobs."

"That's enough!" Mom shoved her away violently. "Three years ago, Cassidy stole all the jewelry in this house and took the maid with her. How could she possibly be doing odd jobs?"

The child broke down, tears streaming.

Mom lifted her head and glared at the crowd. "Cassidy! I know you're here. Get out here right now!"

Someone in the crowd scooped up the child, shooting Mom a look full of disdain.

"Just because you're rich doesn't mean you can bully a child! This kid's not lying. Cassidy really did die three years ago! If you don't believe it, go check under the bed yourself!"

The crowd parted.

Mom ordered someone to overturn the rickety bed. Inside was a water bottle filled with ashen gray bones.

"A cheap fake death trick!" she spat, her eyes burning with malice as she glared at the doorway. "Cassidy! If you don't come out now, I'll make sure you never earn a single cent doing odd jobs!"

I shivered at her words, hovering beside her.

Three years ago, she had used the same tone to threaten me. "If you don't donate your bone marrow to your sister, I'll make sure you can't even sit for your exams!"

It had been because I refused to give my bone marrow before my SATs.

On the exam day, Mom drugged me and personally took me to the operating table.

After the surgery, my body deteriorated, while my sister, Rachel Porter, cried and accused me of faking illness just to mock her.

Mom had turned to me, shouting that if I continued pretending, I could just leave.

That night, I left home empty-handed. Mom never noticed.

It wasn't until Rachel's illness relapsed that she remembered me.

Even though I had given up hope, my heart still ached involuntarily.

Seeing that no one appeared, Mom's eyes blazed with anger.

"Cassidy, are you trying to kill your sister so you can be the family's only heiress?"

Still no response from me.

Mom ordered all the valuables in the house to be removed.

"Let's see how bold you can be without any money!"

I floated beside them, watching the bodyguards rummage through my things.

Finally, one of them spotted a dust-covered emerald pendant beside the water bottle. It was the gift Mom had given me when I was born.

But she didn't recognize it. She snatched it up and raised her hand to throw it away.

I reflexively lunged, but the pendant passed through my hand and smashed heavily on the floor.

Every time my illness flared, my body trembled in pain, yet I had never sold the pendant even to buy painkillers.

Now, the emerald lay in pieces, and Mom didn't even look at it. She shouted toward the door. "Cassidy! Why aren't you coming out yet?!"

One of the bodyguards picked up the water bottle carelessly. "Madam, this looks like… baby formula."

That was my ashes.

Mom glared at the filthy bottle and snorted.

"So it's just a prop to fake poverty? Dump this disgusting thing in the toilet!"

As the bodyguard moved toward the bathroom, a desperate voice rang out from the doorway, "No!"